This weekend we offer caregivers a few things to help make self-care easy and fun.
First, Saturday, June 20, is the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. With more sunlight hours (actually 3 hours and 17 minutes more daylight than during winter solstice in December) caregivers can find some extra time to focus on their wellness needs.
Sunday, June 21, we celebrate Father’s Day. According to the latest report from the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, of the 53 million family caregivers, half are caring for a parent (including fathers)1. Whether or not caregivers are able to be with their fathers on Sunday, sharing a moment or some music even virtually can bring joy to the day.
Finally, on Sunday, June 21 we also celebrate National Music Day. Since we are still celebrating June Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month we wanted to remind caregivers of the link between music and brain health. Science tells us that making music – whether playing an instrument or singing along to the tune – rather than just passive listening is a full brain workout. Researchers have shown making music increases blood flow in the brain, reduces depression and anxiety and can even help stroke patients with brain recovery and improved motor skills2. In fact, musicians have a 64 percent less risk of developing Alzheimer’s or cognitive impairment.3
Our wish for caregivers this weekend is to take advantage of the extra daylight hours by playing some music, singing along to a favorite tune, dance til you drop, meditate and find mindfulness and share your music with those you love. (I share my late stepdad’s favorite tune he used to sing to me and my brother as children – “You Are My Sunshine.”)
To that end, we offer our Caregiver Monday Playlist for summer – we believe everyone should find at least one song from this eclectic mix of tunes about Mondays, summer days and taking it easy that brings back memories, motivates caregivers to shake their groove thing or just relax. Enjoy!
Come Monday – Jimmy Buffett
You Are My Sunshine – Mississippi John Hurt
Breathe – Michelle Branch
Monday, Monday – Mamas and Papas
Pocketful of Sunshine – Natasha Betingfield
Happy – Pharrell Williams
Long Monday – John Prine
Here Comes the Sun – The Beatles
Get On Your Feet – Gloria Estefan
Manic Monday – The Bangles
You Are the Sunshine of My Life – Stevie Wonder
Butterfly – Crazy Town
Permanent Monday – Jordin Sparks
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Israel “IZ” Kamakawiwoʻole
Just Dance – Lady Gaga
Come Monday Night – God Help The Girl
Walking On Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
Catch my Breath – Kelly Clarkson
Set My Sights on Monday (Sister Golden Hair) – America
Trip Around the Sun – Kenny Chesney
Take It Easy – The Eagles
Monday Comes Around – Switchfoot
Soak Up the Sun – Sheryl Crow
Beautiful Day – U2
The Happy Mondays – The Innocence Mission
The Sun – Parov Stellar
Feelin’ Good – Nina Simone
Blue Monday – Fats Domino
Sunrise – Norah
Blue Skies – Ella Fitzgerald
Rainy Days and Mondays – The Carpenters
Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me – Elton John
Weightless – Macaroni Union
References
1 National Alliance for Caregiving (May, 2020). Caregiving in the U.S. 2020 Report, Bethesda, MD, 2020.
2 Rampton, J. (August 21, 2017). The benefits of playing music help your brain more than any other activity. Inc. New York, NY, 2017. Retrieved from: https://www.inc.com/john-rampton/the-benefits-of-playing-music-help-your-brain-more.html
3 Balbag, M. A., Pedersen, N. L., & Gatz, M. (2014). Playing a musical instrument as a protective factor against dementia and cognitive impairment: A population-based twin study. International Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 2014.
©2020 Sherri Snelling
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